Luo Yihuang seemed like a woman who seldom smiled. Her every move carried an air of queenly authority. Sitting in her swivel chair, she took a sip of tea and continued, "Qin Qinghan has a gentle temperament, but when it comes to business management, she's as sharp as a sword. Do you still remember the financial crisis that the Qin Group faced two years ago?"
Hearing this, Lin Yu nodded. That year, the Qin Group faced a liquidity crisis and was on the verge of bankruptcy. It was the then 22-year-old Qin Qinghan who turned the tide, not only saving the company from disaster but also increasing its revenue several times over.
A year ago, however, the Qin Group did not fully utilize Qin Qinghan's talents, placing her uncle in charge instead. The company was nearly acquired in another crisis, but once again, Qin Qinghan resolved it within just a few days.
Lin Yu scoffed, "Such a treasure, yet the Qin Group fails to cherish her. How foolish. Chairman Luo, what position do you plan to offer her?"
Luo Yihuang replied directly, "The position of CEO for the head office has been vacant. For now, let her work as your assistant for a while. Later, she'll take over the CEO role."
There was an undeniable confidence in Luo Yihuang's tone. She didn't even consider whether Qin Qinghan would accept the offer.
Lin Yu was slightly surprised, but she knew that Chairman Luo never acted without certainty. If she had set her sights on Qin Qinghan, it meant Qin Qinghan indeed possessed the ability.
Then Lin Yu added, "Chairman Luo, the Qin Group has invested heavily in Fenghao Real Estate, even mortgaging the entire group."
Luo Yihuang's expression remained indifferent as she said, "The Qin Group's attempt to curry favor with Fenghao Real Estate is digging their own grave."
Lin Yu responded, "For the Qin Group, Fenghao Real Estate's project is like a bottomless pit. Without a 1.5 billion yuan upfront investment, they won't even see any profit. It seems Fenghao Real Estate is deliberately setting them up."
Luo Yihuang nodded. "The Qin family offended someone. Someone wants to destroy them."
Lin Yu's eyes flashed with shock upon hearing this.
Luo Yihuang continued, "Have you found out about that person's background?"
Lin Yu nodded, her tone slightly peculiar. "His name is Ye Fengwu. No formal education, no family. He was involved in the underground world as a teenager and was imprisoned at 18 on charges of rape. He was released less than a month ago."
"He has close ties with Jiang Hao and has recently been entangling himself with Qin Qinghan."
Luo Yihuang nodded. "Anything else?"
Lin Yu shook her head. "That's all."
Luo Yihuang frowned slightly. "Even an ordinary farmer wouldn't have such a clean record. This man isn't normal. Is someone deliberately hiding his true identity? A rapist? Hmph, probably just a cover."
Although Luo Yihuang's tone remained calm, her sharp eyes exuded a sense of strategic confidence.
Lin Yu asked curiously, "Chairman Luo, why are you interested in a rapist?"
Luo Yihuang shook her head with furrowed brows. "This man isn't simple. He suddenly approached Qin Qinghan and orchestrated Jiang Hao to set a trap for the Qin Group. A person like this couldn't just be a rapist."
Lin Yu's eyes flashed with surprise again. "Chairman Luo, are you suggesting Jiang Hao's actions against the Qin family were under Ye Fengwu's direction? How could he have the power to command the Dragon King of the East?"
Although the Luo Phoenix Group didn't fear any underground organizations in Haihua City, they still had to be cautious of those who disregarded the rules.
Luo Yihuang said calmly, "It's just a hypothesis, but it's highly likely."
Lin Yu suddenly thought of something and said, "Chairman Luo, about the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Jin Hai City branch the day after tomorrow—I still advise against you attending in person."
In the past month, Luo Yihuang had survived three assassination attempts. If she left Haihua City again, who knows what dangers awaited her?
Luo Yihuang, however, said lightly, "Someone doesn't want me dead. Besides, some matters must be handled personally. Prepare the flight."
Though several of her bodyguards had died in those assassination attempts, Luo Yihuang knew someone was secretly helping her. And she already had a strong suspicion about who it was.
Lin Yu speculated, "It must be the forces from Chairman Luo's family."
Luo Yihuang neither confirmed nor denied it.
At the age of 20, she left her family and spent six years building the Luo Phoenix Group.
While her company was one of the top corporations in Haihua City, to her family, it was merely child's play.
In those six years, aside from a few close relatives, Luo Yihuang had almost no contact with her family and refused any of their help.
The reason for this stemmed from a family-arranged marriage years ago.
Even in today's world, women were often used as tools for family interests, especially in families as prominent as hers.
But Luo Yihuang, proud and ambitious, refused to be a pawn. She chose to break away from her family, determined to prove her worth as a woman. She wanted to show her family that one day, she would possess wealth capable of influencing all of China.
She still remembered being betrothed as a child to the Ye family. If not for the disappearance of the Ye family's infant son, she might have already been married into the Ye family.
At 7:00 p.m., Ye Fengwu returned home with Qin Qinghan and Jing Si. Yang Yu and Qin Zhi, who now had tens of thousands of yuan in hand, unusually didn't go out to play mahjong but stayed home watching TV.
Earlier that day, Ye Fengwu and Qin Qinghan had transferred Jing Si to a new school with an excellent environment and reputation.
It was clear that Qin Qinghan's mood was better today, with less of her usual melancholy, though she still didn't smile.
In the kitchen, Qin Qinghan was cooking, and Ye Fengwu stepped in to offer his help.
"Let me chop the vegetables," Ye Fengwu said with a smile, standing in the narrow doorway.
Qin Qinghan, picking vegetables, glanced at him and replied gently, "No... No need. Go watch TV. It'll be ready soon."
Hearing this, Ye Fengwu felt a surge of delight and obediently went back to watch TV, thinking, What a gentle and understanding wife.
Unbeknownst to Ye Fengwu, Qin Qinghan didn't want him helping because the kitchen was too cramped. Cooking together might inevitably lead to physical contact, and it was clear she still felt some resistance toward him.
Before long, a table of fragrant dishes was served. Qin Qinghan's cooking skills were undeniably excellent—just the aroma made Ye Fengwu's mouth water.
But as he was about to dig in, Yang Yu snorted in disdain, "Let me make this clear: if you want to marry my daughter, you should get a proper job. You can't leave all the family's burdens to Qinghan."
Hearing this, Qin Qinghan frowned slightly, about to interject when Ye Fengwu grinned and said, "Of course, of course. I'll find a job tomorrow."
Unrelenting, Yang Yu continued, "Where were you when we needed you? If it weren't for Chen Nan a few days ago, Qinghan would have been bullied by those thugs."
"And you dare claim that ring you gave Qinghan is worth a hundred million dollars? Ha! It's nothing more than a twenty thousand yuan fake. How shameless can you get?"
Fearing Ye Fengwu might lose his temper, Qin Qinghan quickly said to Yang Yu, "Mom, let's eat."
Yang Yu glared at her daughter and retorted, "Am I not stating the facts? Even if he borrowed five hundred thousand yuan, you'll still have to repay it."
Qin Qinghan felt anxious. Yang Yu had no idea what kind of person Ye Fengwu truly was—a man respected by even Jiang Hao and feared by the Western Tiger Black Wind.
She cast Ye Fengwu an apologetic glance, signaling him not to mind her mother's words.
Ye Fengwu merely smiled. "I'll bring the real ring to Qinghan next time."
Yang Yu sneered, "The real thing? A hundred-million-dollar ring? Ha! If you can actually give her the genuine article, I'll let her marry you on the spot."
Ye Fengwu's expression instantly turned serious. "Is that a promise?"
Qin Qinghan's heart grew heavy. So he's finally admitting the ring was a fake.
Ye Fengwu turned to Qin Qinghan. "But selling the ring for just twenty thousand yuan was a bit of a loss, don't you think?"
Qin Qinghan apologized softly, "I'm sorry..."
"What's there to apologize for? That cheap fake..." Yang Yu began, but Qin Qinghan cut her off urgently.
"Mom, please stop talking. The food's getting cold."
Qin Qinghan's tone was clearly anxious. Though the ring was a fake, she didn't want Ye Fengwu to know Yang Yu had stolen it from her.
After all, it was already misunderstood—what would the truth change now?
An awkward silence followed until a breaking news report appeared on TV.
"A private jet belonging to the Luo Phoenix Group has exploded. Casualties are currently unknown. It is reported that the company's chairman, Luo Yihuang, was scheduled to board the plane en route to Jin Hai City. We'll continue to follow up on this story."
The screen cut to the airport, showing thick black smoke and the wreckage of a completely burned-out plane lying on the runway.
Ye Fengwu, who had just started eating, froze as his expression darkened. His gaze fixed intently on the TV screen.